St. Paul United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 St. Paul United Methodist Church A Good Neighbor 501 Grant Street, SE Atlanta GA fax Rev. S. Ellen Hopkins Pastor Kevin Hill Minister of Music Jeff Hammack Organist Joe Riddle Director, Recreation Ministries Contextual Education Intern Ashley Waite Contextual Education Intern Becky Wellman Director, Golden Age Center Ginny Pavey Office Manager Eli and Samuel John Singleton Copley, 1780 Covenant Sunday January 11, 2015

2 2 Introduction to the Covenant Service by John Wesley Dearly beloved, the Christian life, to which we are called, is a life in Christ, redeemed from sin, and through him consecrated to God. Upon this life we have entered, having been admitted into that New Covenant of which our Lord Jesus Christ is mediator, and which He sealed with His own blood, that it might stand forever. On one side the Covenant is God s promise that He will fulfill in and through us all that He declared in Christ Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. That His promise still stands we are sure, for we have known His goodness, and provided His grace in our lives day by day. On the other side we stand pledged to live no more unto ourselves, but to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us, and has called us to serve Him that the purpose of His coming might be fulfilled. From time to time, we renew our vows of consecration, especially when we gather at the Lord s table: but on this day we meet expressly, as generations of our fathers have met, that we may joyfully and solemnly renew the Covenant which bound them and binds us to God. John Wesley, Frances Owen Salisbury, 1930 Let us then, remembering the mercies of God, and the hope of His calling, examine ourselves by the light of His Spirit, that we may see wherein we have failed or fallen short in faith and practice, and considering all that this Covenant means, may give ourselves anew to God. John Wesley

3 3 The Worship of God Gathering 11 am Worship Begins Prelude *Call to Worship Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Rev. Ellen Hopkins Come let us worship the Lord who established a new covenant through his Son Jesus Christ. We come in spirit and in truth. Let us pray: Let us worship our Creator, the God of love; God continually preserves and sustains us; we have been loved with an everlasting love; through Jesus Christ we have been given complete knowledge of God s glory. You are God; we praise you; we acknowledge you to be the Lord. Let us glory in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, for our sakes he became poor; he was tempted in all points as we are, but he was without sin; he went about doing good and preaching the gospel of the kingdom; he accepted death, death on the cross; he was dead and is alive for ever; he has opened the kingdom of heaven to all who trust him; he sits in glory at the right hand of God; he will come again to be our Judge. You, Christ, are the King of Glory. Let us rejoice in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life. Through the Spirit we are born into the family of God, and made members of the body of Christ; the witness of the Spirit confirms us; the wisdom teaches us; the power enables us; the Spirit will do far more for us than we ask or think. All praise to you, Holy Spirit. *Hymn O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing UMH 57

4 4 Affirmation of Faith The Apostles Creed #881 Greeting We want to know that you were here worshipping with us today, especially if you are a first time visitor. Please introduce yourself to your neighbors, fill in a Visitor s Card (found in your pew), and place it in the offering. The Word Read and Shared Psalm 139 UMH 854 Scripture Reading 1 Samuel 3:1-10 The Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Celebration of our Children Children s Offering Hymn Love Divine, All Loves Exceling UMH 384 Sermon Rev. Ellen Hopkins Responding to the Word Call to Prayer O Thou Who This Mysterious Bread Chancel Choir Pastoral Prayer Ashley Waite The Giving of God s Tithes and Our Offerings Musical Offering Come O Thou Traveler Unknown Chancel Choir *The Doxology #95 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow Praise God, all creatures here below! Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts! Praise God, the Son and Holy Ghost!. Amen.

5 5 Confession of Sin Let us humbly confess our sins to God. O God, you have shown us the way of life through your Son, Jesus Christ. We confess with shame our slowness to learn of him, our failure to follow him, and our reluctance to bear the cross. Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. We confess the poverty of our worship, our neglect of fellowship and of the means of grace, our hesitating witness for Christ, our evasion of responsibilities in our service, our imperfect stewardship of your gifts. Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. Let each of us in Silence make confession to God. (Silence) Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; In your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions, Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Now the message that we have heard from God s Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. If we live in the light just as he is in the light then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God he will keep his promise and do what is right; he will forgive us all our wrongdoing. Collect Amen. Thanks be to God. Let us pray: Father, you have appointed our Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator of a new covenant; give us grace to draw near with fullness of faith and join ourselves in a perpetual covenant with you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

6 6 The Covenant In the old covenant, God chose Israel to be a special people and to obey the law. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his death and resurrection, has made a new covenant with all who trust in him. We stand within this covenant and we bear his name. On the one side, God promises in this covenant to give us new life in Christ. On the other side, we are pledged to live not for ourselves but for God. Today, therefore, we meet to renew the covenant which binds us to God. (Please stand) Friends, let us claim the covenant God has made with his people, and accept the yoke of Christ. To accept the yoke of Christ means that we allow Christ to guide all that we do and are, and that Christ himself is our only reward. Christ has many services to be done; some are easy, others are difficult; some make others applaud us, others bring only reproach; some we desire to do because of our own interests; others seem unnatural. Sometimes we please Christ and meet our own needs, at other times we cannot please Christ unless we deny ourselves. Yet Christ strengthens us and gives us the power to do all these things. Therefore let us make this covenant of God our own. Let us give ourselves completely to God, trusting in his promises and relying on his grace. I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low by thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen. The Great Thanksgiving The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

7 7 It is right, and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Before the mountains were brought forth or you had formed the earth, from everlasting to everlasting you alone are God. You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son, Jesus Christ, in whom you have revealed yourself, our light and our salvation. You sent a star to guide the Magi to where the Christ was born; and your signs and witnesses in every age and through all the world have led your people from far places to his light. In his baptism and in his table fellowship he took your place with sinners. Your Spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who were oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when you would save your people. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. On the night in which he gave himself up for us he took bread, gave thanks to your, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

8 8 Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet. And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray: Our Father (Creator) who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Breaking of the Bread and taking of the Cup Giving of the Bread and Cup Communion Music Announcements We Depart to Love and Serve *Hymn Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies UMH 173 Dismissal with Blessing May the God who established a covenant with those who seek to enter the kingdom be always present with you. Amen. May Jesus Christ who sealed the new covenant with his sacrifice on the cross bring you peace. Amen. May the Holy Spirit of God guide your life, now and for ever. Amen. Go in peace to serve God and your neighbor in all that you do. Amen. Thanks be to God!

9 9 *The Congregational Blessing Go Now in Peace Go now in peace. Never be afraid. God will go with you each hour of ev'ry day. Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true. Know God will guide you in all you do. Go now in love, and show you believe, Reach out to others so all the world can see. God will be there watching from above. Go now in peace, in faith, and in love. *The Light Goes Forth Postlude *Stand as you are able. WE REJOICE TO WELCOME YOU to this service of worship at St. Paul United Methodist Church. We pray God s blessing upon you this morning. We are pleased you chose to worship with us today. If you are just visiting, we encourage you to fill in a Visitor s Card (found in your pew) and place it in the offering so we can be in touch with you. If you are looking for a church home, look no further you have found one at St. Paul. If this community can assist you in any way, please let us know. If you are interested in becoming a member of this church or want to talk about membership, please speak with our Pastor, Rev. Ellen Hopkins, after the service. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome!!! WORSHIP LEADERS AND SUNDAY VOLUNTEERS Presider: Ellen Hopkins Liturgist: Joe Riddle Children s Time: Ashley Waite Sound Board: Talley and Evan Wells Acolytes: Annika and Olivia Egerstedt and Danielle Hanson Ushers: Bryan Russell (Head Usher), Susan Johnson, Jackson Moore Altar Guild: Karen Merritt Loving Childcare: Rebecca Wallace Coffee, Cookies and Conversation: Angela Russell Counters: John Mickle and Clay Elrod

10 10 Want more information about what s happening at St. Paul? We generally send out s weekly. If you d like to be on our list, contact the church office at office@stpaulgrantpark.org or Activities. Members, visitors, friends, all are invited to participate in the various ministries at St. Paul. If you need more information please call the church office Every Sunday: 10am Sunday School (all ages) 8:45am Worship First (casual, contemporary service with Holy Communion) 11am Morning Worship (traditional service) 12-ish Hospitality: Coffee, Cookies and Conversation (Chester Commons, most Sundays) Every Wednesday: 7:00pm Chancel Choir [kevinhowardhill@gmail.com] Youth Group Variable schedule. 4:30 6pm on Sundays during January. Contact Ashley Waite (waite.ashley@gmail.com) to be placed on her contact list. Nursery is available for infants and toddlers on the 3rd floor of the education building prior to and during the worship service. After the Children s Sermon, children under kindergarten age may go up to child care in the gym on the third floor.